Utility Bills Based on Household Income | Feb. 23

On the Feb. 23 episode of SoCal Update, the state utilities commission is hearing a proposal Wednesday on how to charge customers more fairly. KPCC Infrastructure Reporter Sharon McNary explains how this would work.

University of California, Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein is presenting an idea to change power bills so they are based on a household’s income. This would apply to investor-owned companies like Southern California Edison – whose rates are regulated by the state government, and can charge for things like wildland fire prevention, electric vehicle charging stations and subsidies for low-income customers. The new plan would prioritize low-income households so they pay equitable amounts of the power structure we all use and to ease a transition away from fossil fuels.

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Sharon McNary @KPCCsharon
Libby Denkmann @libdenk